Table of Contents:
Notes
Simming the Regular Season (Short Version)
Problems
Processing Movement
Running the KBL Utility
Creating the Zip
Posting News
Simming FA SubPeriods
Simming the Play-Offs
Finishing the Season and Starting the Next
Notes
First off, it's faster and easier than it looks. I just like to make very detailed instructions.
Second, this is of course a work in progress. If you think of ways to improve anything, please let me know.
Third, let's both create the folder c:k (folder k on drive c) on our computers and try to keep our league files there (except of course the "league folder", e.g. E:\Program Files\400 Software Studios\OOTP5\KBL.lg, don't worry about it). This will help minimize any differences problems we might have between our files. It will also make using the utility a lot easier for us.
Fourth, when you're editing files, like the excel files, unless you ran the last sim, download and use the latest ones from the website. Don't use the ones you have on your computer.
Simming the Regular Season
-Optional Preparation
-Delete expimp folder in the league folder (this probably isn't necessary for most leagues, but I do it to make checking our export record easier and to ensure the game is only ever reading the latest export)
-Record the exports by opening the Export Status page and the Export Record file and then marking a:
-Open the league in the game
-Import all the exports by going to the "Online League Setup" screen and pressing the "Import All Teams.." button
-If a team has had no export or contact for 6 sims:
-If a team that was computer controlled exported, then set them back to human controlled
-Go to the forum and your e-mail and process all movement requests, in this order:
-If changed, switch back options
-Backup (e.g. "c:k/0415b", "c:k/[insertleaguemonth#][insertleagueday#]b")
-Sim
-Backup (e.g. "c:k/0422" notice there is no "b" and the date has changed)
-Generate the reports at "c:k/reports" by going to the "Online League Setup" screen and click the "Generate Report" button
-Run the KBL utility (details below)
-Delete any p_.html files in league_news_box folder (these are recreated any time the game needs them, so we don't need them)
-Create the zip of only new or modified files (there are two ways to do this, details below)
-Copy the following files to your "c:k/downloads" folder:
-If updated, copy the following files to your "c:k/downloads" folder:
-Copy the following files to your "c:k/reports" folder:
-Empty "c:k/_kbl.zip"
-Drag the following files & folders into "c:k/_kbl.zip":
-Using an FTP program:
-Post sim completed news (details below)
Short Version
open sim checklist
record exports
open game
import exports
process movement
save
backup
sim
backup
gen reports
copy report files
open trans files
process utility
copy (latest sim zip (already done), export record, utility output & if changed transactions rights list, draft picks list, and members list) to downloads
delete exports
upload zip
post
email
Problems
-If at any time you have a problem before you make the first backup of the sim, as in making a mistake with processing movement, then quit the game, delete the existing league folder, copy the last backup and start again.
Processing Movement
-Go to the forum and your e-mail and process all movement requests, in this order:
releases, waivers, trades, injuries, FAs, extensions (you want to open roster spots first for any new players to a team)
Releases:
-Go to the team's transactions screen
Waivers:
If there are unretracted waivers (and possibly claims) posted, I'll process them (I'll ignore waivers posted and retracted before a sim has been run). I'll then sim the week and upload the new zip.
If an AI team claimed a waived player during the sim (he will not yet have changed teams as the waiver period will be set to 8 days and so he will not yet have cleared) or a human team claims a waived player after the sim, then the waiving team can retract the waiver by posting so on the boards. These claims or retractions will be processed the following sim. Once the 48 hour waiver period since the waiver was posted passes, the player can no longer be claimed or retracted though.
The team may also leave directions at the time the waiver is posted or any time after on what to do with the player after they clear waivers ("demote" or "remove from 40 man"). If the player is to be demoted or removed from the 40 man, then the soonest that will be processed is after the first day of the second sim after the waiver was originally posted as the player only clears waivers after that day.
Waiver Claims:
-Go to waiver wire screen
Waiver Retractions:
-Go to the team's transactions screen
Waiver Demotions:
-Go to league setup and disable "minor league option years"
Trades:
-Quickly check to make sure the trade is fair (fair does not necessarily mean equal, only that it makes sense for both sides)
-Go to the Player Trade screen
-If it's a trade that includes cash or a draft pick, first go to the Free Agents screen, click the Create Player button, and create a C, selecting "No" when asked questions. Then edit the player's first name to be "TAH", replacing TAH with the giving team's abbreviation. For cash, edit the last name to be "1.75M$", replacing 1.75M$ with however much the cash is (M for millions, K for thousands). For a pick, edit the last name to be "02 1st rd pick", replacing 02 with the pick's year (next year) and 1st with whatever the pick's rd is. Then sign that player to a MLC (if he's asking for more, then edit his batting ratings down) to the team trading away the cash or pick. Finally, go back to the Player Trade screen, press the Name column heading and select the cash or pick and complete the trade. If cash, then edit both teams' cash (giving down, receiving up). If pick, update the draft picks list. Then release and delete the player.
Extensions:
-Make sure 3 offers have not already been made
Running the KBL Utility
-download both the utility and the output, unless you have a copy of the latest on your computer
-open the new ltrans.html file in a text editor
Creating the Zip
Method 1) Only Zipping Files That Are New (less work, but less safe/sure)
Using WinZip:
-right click on league folder and select WinZip, then "Add to Zip File..."
Method 2) Zipping All Files Then Deleting Unchanged Files (more work, but safer/surer)
-zip up the file like you would any other file
Posting News
-create a news post titled, "[insert date] Sim Completed", with the text:
The sim has been run and everything should be uploaded and unzipped within 15 minutes.
Playoff Spot Races:
Teams of the Sim:
No Export/Contact Streaks:
Simming FA SubPeriods
-open batch files
Simming the Playoffs
-start a play-offs thread titled, "[insert year] Playoffs", with the text:
Please make sure your rosters are down to 25 players, export, and then post that you are ready. If there are players you want to send down for the playoffs but cannot, then post them below and I will force them to the minors. For each round I will sim games 1-3, then 4 and 5, and then if necessary 6 and 7. After each sim I will post the results in this thread, upload the latest sim zip, and delete the old exports. There will not be an email after every sim, so make sure you subscribe to this thread to get the reply notifications. If after a sim you are still in the playoffs, please reply to this thread when you are ready. Exports without ready posts still count as being ready, but I would like you to post too as the reply notifications tell me to check whether we're ready to sim again. We will sim as soon as all the participants are ready or after 48 hours, whichever comes sooner.
-and then copy the playoffs section of the reports. For example:
Round 1:
Umtata (0) against Songhai (0)
-after a sim do a little write-up and post the series records
Finishing the Season and Starting the Next
-a few sims before the end of the regular season:
-at the start of the playoffs:
-after playoffs:
-after final changes deadline:
--open sim checklist (this file), forum, and export status
--open KBLXXXX.lg, website/downloads, and c:k folders
--delete expimp folder
--open league in game
--check email for directions
--open export record file
--mark "Y" for teams with exports
--create backup folders (next date is listed in export record file)
--open utility and input files
--empty _kbl.zip
--start post
--start email
--"F" for a failed export
--"Y" for any export files in the folder not already marked as "F"
--"O" for an open team
--"C" for any teams that contacted you
--"N" for all others
--set them to computer controlled
--put "AI" for the GM name and reset the password, as well as take them off the members list and mailing list
--releases, waivers, trades, injuries, FAs, extensions (details below)
--latest sim zip, export record, utility output
--transactions rights list, draft picks list, and members list
--styles.css, defaultphoto.bmp
--the "c:k/downloads" folder
--the "c:k/reports" folder
--any other files in their folders
--delete the exports in the exports folder on the ftp server (again, this probably isn't necessary for most leagues, but I do it to make checking our export record easier and we've had problems with files not overwriting)
--upload "_kbl.zip" to the httpdocs folder
-E-mail a link to the above thread and any other important threads (create e-mail)
open forum
open export status
open folders
delete expimp
open export record
open KBL utility files
zip latest sim
open league file
zip upload
-Drag and drop the player to the releases area
-Select claiming team from pull-down menu
-Right click on player
-Drag and drop the player from the waivers area to the bottom right area
-Demote player
-Go back to league setup and re-enable "minor league option years"
-Select the teams
-Right click to add the players
-Complete the trade
-Enter offer
-Double check offer
-Make offer
-Report outcome in forum
-copy the latest sim's source code, including the previous sim's last day
-open the transx.html file in a text editor
-paste the source code
-replace new link ("file:///c:/k/R" or "/p" or "=p") with old ("http://kbl-ootp-online.com/r" or "file:///c:/k/tests/p" or "=http://kbl-ootp-online.com/reports/p") to get contract info before release
-save and open transx.html in a web browser
-open the previous ltrans.html file in a web browser
-note the last entry
-go back to transx.html in a web browser
-from the last entry of the last day of the previous sim, note the first released player entry
-click on the link to the player
-if he had a major league contract (if not, skip him), go to the releases sheet in the input file, input the name of the player, his team abbrev, the years of his major league contract (e.g if he is signed through 1005 and the current year is 1001, then that is 5 years, 1005-1001+1=5.), his salary, and put a 1 in the Releases This Year column (col R).
-go to the next released player and repeat until gone through all the releases
-save the input file
-go to the home sheet in the utility
-in column D, check that the First Year Added and the Exporter, CSVs, and Archive (output) folders are correct. if not, correct them by pressing the "Change Setup" button and following the instructions that pop up
-put the output file that you downloaded in the designated Archive (output) folder
-press the "GenerateCSVsFromNewLeagueFolderThenUpdate" button (I'll probably rename it later)
-select the folder of the after the sim backup (e.g. "c:k/0422")
-wait
-when it asks you if you want to save the archive, select no
-wait till all the CSVs close
-quickly check the output for any problems. if there are no problems, save the output file. if there are problems, close the output file without saving, and start over, checking the input sheet for problems. if the problem persists, well, I guess you need to e-mail me and I'll fix it asap.
-close Excel
-in the Attributes section (bottom) of the window that pops up:
--check "Include only if archive attribute is set"
--check "Reset archive attribute"
-click Add
-sort the files by their modified date
-delete any files that are older than the most recent sim's date
-start this section with the ASB sim
-note any interesting changes
[lead: teams]
-note the best and worst records using the LSS page of the utility output
[record: teams]
[#: teams]
-delete expimp folder BF
-import regular exports
-import FA exports
-do draft picks (edit and save them at the beginning of each round)
-go to the forum and your e-mail and process all movement requests, in this order:
releases, waivers, trades, injuries, FAs, extensions (details below)
-backup "b" BF
-sim FA subperiods (5 of 3 days then 3 of 5 days)
-backup "a" BF
-generate reports
-create the league folder zip BF
-copy the changed downloads
-copy the constant report files BF
-create the upload zip BF
-delete the exports
-upload the upload zip
-post the news
-email the link
Swahili (0) against Mecca (0)
Mansa Musa (0) against Taharqa (0)
Mwari (0) against Watumbatu (0)
--post and email a reminder that rule change proposals must be posted before the last sim of the regular season
--post and email a reminder to finish offering extensions and protecting minor leaguers from becoming FAs by the end of the play-offs
--post and email a reminder that the final changes deadline will be 2 days after playoffs
--start making rules and awards voting ballots
--email the rules and awards voting ballots
--update home page champ
--post next year's Khartoum refugees
--post draft order
--add released players during playoffs to utility
--post next season ad
--backup website
--update CatoBase
--update home page records
--tabulate votes
--update downloads
--update zip links (forum, home page, download page, menu)
--select commish awards
--update info page
--update sim checklist
--do final changes
--do final import
--do final backup
--"proceed to next season"
-see processing section of the info page for processing the pre-season